Liquid-fuel reservoir.



CK. LAURENTI. LIQUID FUEL RSERVOIR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.24 I9I5.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

D A. v H/ B 4 ,IIII f/,---,------1111I1 1 Lp .o M/IIIIIIIIILIIIU C l/ IIIIIIIIII/ 5 TL C2 .Nunn/... 1 MW /A SIIIIUHHIPIHHHHHIDHIHHIH/H- I on n1...) m... .llilllmr IMI IIIA co rnammma.. wAsumamN, n. c.

vUTED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE.

CESARE LAURENTI, OF TURIN, ITALY, ASSIGNOR TO SOCIETA ANONIMA FIAT-SAN GIORGIO, 0F SPEZIA, ITALY.

LIQUID-FUEL RESERVOIR.

Application filed August 24, 1915.

To all Iwhom t may concern Be it known that I, CESARE LAURENTI, of Turin, Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to LiquidFuel Reservoirs, of which the following is a true, full, and exact specification.

This invention relates to improvements in reservoirs for combustible liquids such as are employed in connection with motors on boats and floating bodies in which it is necessary that the weight shall not undergo any considerable variation and that the stability during the consumption of the combustible similarly shall not undergo any sensible variation.

The invention herein described is especially but not exclusively, adapted for use with submarine boats since in this type of boat it is particularly important that there should be no sensible variation either in weight or in the position of the center of gravity notwithstanding the consumption of the combustible contained in its reservoirs.

It is usual in submarine boats to retain a constant weight by gradually substituting water as the combustible is consumed, but in the case of large reservoirs, especially when they extend to a large degree in the longitudinal direction of the boat it happens that the heavier water sinks to the bottom of the reservoir and the lighter combustible comes to the surface so that at each longitudinal inclination of the boat a considerable displacement of weight in the longitudinal direction of the boat is produced, which in the case of a submerged submarine considerably and dangerously aects the position of the boat during navigation.

This invention has for its object to reduce this displacement of weight and consequent variation of longitudinal stability to a minimum. To this end the reservoir for the combustible liquid is divided into a series of water-tight compartments connected by a certain arrangement of pipes and fluid is admitted to one compartment under pressure and is caused to force the combustible from the reservoir gradually filling one compartment after another, the compartments being as numerous and as small as desired.

To enable the invention to be fully understood it will now be described by reference to the accompanying diagram in which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. i3, 191'?.

Serial No; 47,026.

the ligure illustrates the invention as ap plied to a reservoir suitable for use on a submarine boat.

As shown the water-tight reservoir, which is arranged longitudinally of the boat is divided into a series of water-tight compartments or subdivisions C1, C2, C3, C4, by means of the water-tight partitions P1, P2, P3. The pipe A conducts the combustible from the top of the compartment C1 to the motor B or it may be to the furnace of a boiler. The various compartments C1, G2, C3, C4, are in communication one with the other by means of pipes t1, 252, 12 each pipe extending from approximately the bottom of one compartment and passing through the partition at a point near the top of same and then being bent up to a point approximately at the top of the adjacent compartment as shown in the case of the pipes` t1, t2, t3. Theil-ast compartment C, has an additional pipe. t, extending from substantially the bottom of the compartment and passing out near the top of same to a pump D which' may be a circulating pump for an internal combustion motor or a special water pump. A cock R is provided on the top of compartment C1 for allowing escape of air when the compartments are first filled, said cock also acting to indicate when the tanks are full according as air or combustible passes therethrough. Further, if water or other Huid issues from the cock, then it will be understood that no more combustible remains in the reservoir.

The operation of this arrangement is as follows:

Supposing the reservoir to be filled with combustible, a fluid preferably water under pressure is forced by the pump D through pipe t, to the lbottom of the compartment C, which displaces the combustible and forces it through the pipes t3, 252, 251 and tube A whence it passes to the motor or furnace. It will be understood that in course of operation the various compartments will become filled with water or other displacing uid one after the other until all the combustible is consumed. It will be seen that even if the reservoir is very large the surface of liquid contact between the displacing fluid and the combustible will be in one compartment only at a time and such compartment may be made as small as desired.

The extent of' this surface of contact between the two fluids having a considerable influence on the longitudinal stability of the boat it is possible in consequence to reduce this dangerous iniluence down to as small a degree as desired by means of the present invention.

It will be understood kthat the reservoir may be divided into any desired number of compartments. Liquids other than rwater may be employed for forcing out the combustible if desired.

What I claim is: f

l. A submarine or the like, having a liquid fuel reservoir, comprising a plurality of liquid fuel containers, and means placing the containers in communication with one another, said means comprising a pipe leading from the top of one container to the lower part of a succeeding container, said pipe being adapted to conduct fuel serially from 'one container to a succeeding container, said containers and pipe being so' constructed that said pipe also serves as a conduit for the expellaiit liquid, following the passage of the fuel, from one container tothe next.

2. submarine or the like, having a liquid fuel reservoir, comprising a plurality of containers arranged transversely of the lon# gitudinal axis of the submarine, and means placing the containers in communication with one another, said means comprising a pipe running from one container to a succeeding container, said pipe having one end opening at the top of one container and its other end opening at the lower part of the succeeding container, said pipe being adaptedto conduct fuel serially from one container to another, said containers and pipe being so constructed that said pipe also serves as a conduit for the expellant liquid, following the passage of the fuel, from one container to the next.

3. A submarine or the like, having a liquid fuel reservoir, said reservoir having transverse compartments therein and means placing the compartments in communication with one another, the said means comprising a pipe running from one compartment to a succeeding compartment, said pipe having one end opening at the top of one compartment and its other end opening at the lower part of a` succeeding compartment, the said pipe being adapted to conduct fuel serially from one compartment to a succeeding compartment, said compartments and pipe being so constructed that said pipe also serves as a conduit for the expellant liquid, following thepassage of the fuel, from one container to the next.

-la A submarine or the like, having a` liquid fuel reservoir, said reservoir having transverse compartments therein, and means placing the containers in communicationY with one another, said means comprising a pipe running from one compartment to a succeeding compartment, said pipe being inside of said reservoir and having one Vend opening at the top of one compartment and its other end opening at the lower part of a succeeding compartment, said containers and pipe being so constructed that said pipe also'serves as a conduit for the expellant liquid, following the passage of the fuel, from one container to another.

5. In combination, a for use in submarines or the like, and a water pump, said reservoir comprising transverse compartments and a pipe running from one compartment to a succeeding com- Y partment, said pipe having one end opening at the top of one compartment and its other end opening at the lower part of a succeeding compartment, said pipe being adapted to conduct fuel serially from one compartment to a succeeding compartment, said water pump being connected to the lower part of a compartment at one end of the series, and said liquid reservoir having a fuel outlet at the opposite end of the series, the fuel and water being adapted to pass from one compartment to another through thesame pipe.

6. A submarine or the like, having a liquid fuel reservoir, comprising a plurality of liquid fuel containers, a device in which the liquid fuel is utilized, means whereby the several containers may be connected in series liquid fuel reservoir with said device in which the fuel is utilized` and a pipe for introducing water into said containers in contact with the liquid fuel therein to displace the liquid fuel, said pipe leading from the upper part of one container to the lower part of a succeeding container, said pip'e being the same pipe which conducts the liquid fuel from one compartment to another.

In signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' CESAR-E LAURENTI. lVitnesses z C. L. TnrLns, ZiiLin BAZETTA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, I Washington, D. C.

witness whereof I have hereunto 

